Iced Houjicha is made from roasted green tea also known as Bancha.
Traditionally, tea farmers exhausted from working in hot summer weather would take a break and enjoy Iced Houjicha. First, they would boil water and tea in a kettle. Then they would cool it off by submerging the kettle of tea in a nearby brook. In fact, most everyone in Japan, not just farmers, traditionally enjoyed Iced Houjicha in the summer season. Houjicha hardly contains Caffeine but it does contain beneficial Catechin. Also Houjicha is a good affordable everyday tea. Iced Houjicha is a source of health for farmers in the hot summer season.
You can brew Iced Houjicha with all our Houjicha teas: Houjicha (Bancha), Houjicha Karigane, Organic Houjicha, and Teabag Houjicha.
There are two ways to make Iced Houjicha. If anything, we recommend you try the Traditional Japanese farmer's recipe at least once!
(1) Traditional Japanese farmer's recipe
Boil water in a large kettle (about 2 liters)
Pour 1/2 cup of Houjicha tea leaves into the kettle and boil for 2 minutes.
After cooling it a little, fully chill the tea in the refrigerator.
(2) Brewing by using Kyusu (teapot)
Place 7 to 8g (3 tablespoons) of Houjicha tea leaves into the Kyusu (teapot).
Pour 200ml (7.04fl oz) of boiling temperature of water into the Kyusu.
Wait for 1 minute. You'll want to brew the tea quite strongly because later the thawed ice will weaken the flavor.
Pour tea from the Kyusu into each glass filled with pieces of ice to cool the tea quickly. Pour alternately little by little, so that the quantity and taste of the tea is equal in each glass.